Aesara Partners 

At Aesara Partners, our mission is simple: enable you to be the best version of yourself. We offer a range of focused services that unlock the potential of people, teams and cultures to maximise business performance. 

Collectively our Partners and Associates have decades of experience both in executive coaching and as board level leaders themselves working in multiple sectors across global markets.

Partner & Executive Coach

Doshisha University

Professor of Strategic Management, Global MBA Program

The CFO Coach K.K.

The CFO Coach K.K. is a boutique executive coaching firm specializing in developing High-Performance​ Financial Leaders and Teams.

Founder & Executive Coach

Kansai Gaidai University

•	Awarded President's Global Education Award (Teacher of the Year).

Professor of Leadership & Management

Benesse Holdings, Inc. (USD 4.5B; Tokyo Stock Exchange Code: 9783)

•	Member of the Board of Directors for Berlitz Corporation; Benesse Corporation; and Benesse Style Care.  Chairman of Audit Committee for Berlitz Corporation. Member of Benesse Holdings Pension Committee.
•	Global CFO covering all 40+ Benesse group companies
•	Championed and supported multiple cash generation initiatives including a CFO led "Save to Grow" initiative to improve Company Financial performance and to identify significant savings for business reinvestment
•	Enhanced Finance bench strength and hired a high potential team to start financial business consulting
•	Implemented several process and capability best practices to move group companies towards global standards

Global Chief Financial Officer & Corporate Senior Vice President

McCann Worldgroup Holdings

• Overall Responsibility for Operations (Finance, IT, Legal, and Administration - 10 legal entities) 
• Successfully turned around long term loss making lead agency by delivering double digit margin improvements within two years
• Delivered double digit margin improvements for all six MWG Group companies 
• Built a new Finance team and moved from Scorekeeping to Business Partnership and improved business performance
• Major projects within last two years include: 
  - Shared Service center creation/migration
  - New Financial System Migration
  - Acquisition & Divestiture
  - Business Turnaround
  - Retirement Plan consolidation/change
  - Office relocation/rent reductions

Group Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President, and Member of The Board

Becton, Dickinson and Company

• Led Finance, Procurement, General Affairs, and Rebates teams (43 staff) to deliver multi-million dollar cash and profit performance improvement for first year and beyond. Exceeded all budget expectations.
• Engaged Japan Management Team and Global Finance Leadership Team on company objectives to deliver best outcome (Finance Transformation initiative, Sales effectiveness improvement, Key Account Management, Business Continuity plan, and strategy/selection of backup distribution center).  Led process for 2012-16 Business Plan development
• Developed and executed Finance department strategy and vision to move from scorekeeping to business partnership. Implemented job rotation program and hired several high potential employees to improve bench strength.
• Championed multiple Finance and Procurement initiatives including definition and implementation of new 401k Retirement Plan; divestiture of non-core business; change of primary banks (reduced bank fees by over 30%); vendor reduction process, and new travel expense management system 
• Taught New Manager Essentials program and selected as leadership trainer for PEPFAR program in South Africa to teach Leadership and Change Management to African Health Ministry officials

Finance and Administration Director

Avon Products Inc.

•	Implementation project leader for Avon Sales Leadership Framework (ASLF) – Highest priority project for the Company to adapt to a new Sales Model.  Completed project implementation in record timing.  Awarded regional award as part of ASLF Team. Only person in Asia recognized for both Top-line and Bottom-line contributions in the same year.
•	Defined and executed new vision and mission and led Sales Support department to complete over 40 initiatives (within a six-month period) as part of Team’s new journey towards field motivational excellence. Incorporated new processes to deliver high impact incentives, and to create Sales energy and momentum for sales turn-around.    
•	Achieved highest employee engagement scores with Sales Support Department significantly exceeding country results in over 95% of categories.  Previously had also led Finance department to highest employee engagement scores.
•	Global Project leader for a high potential, multi-functional, multi-national team to study and recommend actions to improve Global Sales Incentive management/spending process.
•	Oversaw execution of a variety of Company and Public/Media events ranging from Sales Conferences to Philanthropic events including Annual Awards to Women, and Pink Ribbon Campaign support.

Executive Director and Member of the Board

•	Responsible for Financial policy making/implementation and reporting for Avon Japan as a public company (including statutory/public, and Board Meetings). All year-end financial documents audited with no comments/exceptions.
•	Defined and executed new department Vision and Mission, and recruited, trained and developed a completely new Finance team (80% new hires within a six month period) to move from scorekeeping to business partnership. Finance team formed core of country high potential list.
•	Consistently over achieved profit performance commitment under adverse conditions of sales decline by aggressively managing strategic business needs with cost cutting; Delivered zero overhead growth during all years; Japan winner of regional awards for best cost management performance, and for boldest transformation strategy.
•	Provided leadership and support for critical decisions and strategy development as Japan Leadership Team Member.  Actively led change management process within company.
•	Consistently achieved best internal control results in Asia-Pacific/Avon over a period of eight audits.  Japan one of only two countries with highest audit rating. Outstanding performance generated support to remove Japan from list of High Coverage countries.
• Co-developed strategic/financial business case, and obtained approval for number of campaign reduction in 2006 making Avon Japan only country ever in Avon to undergo campaign reduction. 
• Independently analyzed and provided strategic direction for Plant study which challenged and reversed previous recommendation by outside consultants on plant closure.
• Provided leadership in several restructuring initiatives by providing an achievable plan to achieve 12% people related cost reduction.  Played lead role in this study representing Finance, Supply Chain and HR 
• Consistently achieved highest performance rating and nominations to several high potential programs
• Elected (and re-elected) to Board of Directors

Executive Director, CFO and Member of the Board of Directors

Delphi

• Prepared Asia-Pacific regional messages / presentations for Delphi Strategy Board, and for Delphi Board of Directors.
• Supported development and implementation of critical Asia-Pacific strategies.  Performed competitive intelligence and other special studies to identify risks / competitive threats and outlined regional / corporate response.
• Provided Miller Heiman strategic selling process training to Asia-Pacific personnel to improve value propositions and increase sales effectiveness.

Director Asia-Pacific Planning

• Management responsibilities for Finance, HR, General Affairs, and Six-Sigma.
• Active member of the Japan Strategy Board and Japan management team.  
• Six-Sigma Deployment Champion for Delphi Japan.

Delphi Japan – CFO & Administration Director

Country Responsibilities:
• Managed all finance functions including accounting, budgeting / forecasting and treasury.
• Lead development of cross-functional and cross-divisional Internal Control Review Board.
• Lead and supported strategic initiatives including venture development support, site enhancement, competitive analysis, transfer pricing, and cost reduction studies.
• Represented Japan in Asia-Pacific Financial Task Team.

Regional Responsibilities:
• Coached country CFO and staff to implement common financial reporting processes.
• Supervised and provided training for engineering / commercial / plant / site analysts.  Coordinated regional financial training programs for the sector in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Coordinated the regional budget, business plan, and capital management process.
• Supported development of common financial practices among ventures including:  Loan monitoring, F/X and cash management, compliance with accounting principles, report submission, etc. Provided regional oversight of venture risk exposure.

Asia-Pacific Senior Finance Mgr.

Executive Coach | MBA Professor | Ex-Global CFO

I help senior leaders master complexity, elevate strategic impact, and lead with authentic authority.

I bring over 25 years of C-level and boardroom experience as a former Global CFO for a $5B publicly traded company, combined with a deep commitment to human-centered leadership development.

Today, I coach global executives, CEOs, and leadership teams — specializing in executive transitions, strategic leadership, high-performance teams, and Asian leadership development.

I am also an MBA Professor of Leadership and Strategic Management, blending research-driven frameworks with boardroom-tested insights to develop transformational leaders.

Based in Kyoto, fluent in English, Urdu, and Japanese.

Connect with me: arif@thecfocoach.jp

Website: www.thecfocoach.jp (please sign up on my mailing list to receive future announcements and newsletters)

Arif Iqball

I help event professionals swap chaos for calm. After 35 years running stadium shows, civic celebrations and festivals, I’ve learnt that working harder doesn’t fix the problem. Better systems do.

Does this sound familiar?

You’re juggling weather, budgets and deadlines. You’re short on staff and managing last minute changes. You’re rewriting plans on the fly and hoping things hold together. You want to lead with a clear head, not operate in crisis mode.

That’s the space I work in.

I run a consultancy focused on event operations, site planning and delivery. I support teams with:

• Event consulting and operational strategy
• Pre-visualisation and digital site planning
• CAD and 3D design for complex builds
• Risk and safety by design
• Complex event operational workflows

On the training side, I built Behind the Stage to share the systems that have kept major events safe, aligned and under control. It’s practical training for people who run events. Simple language. Clear frameworks. Repeatable habits taken from emergency services, project management and the military, proven on real sites around the world.

Students learn how to:

↳ Lead events with confidence
↳ Plan start to finish so risks are spotted and handled early
↳ Set clear roles so teams move faster and avoid confusion
↳ Build schedules that respect people and prevent fatigue
↳ Run briefings that hold up under pressure
↳ Communicate like a show caller so everyone stays aligned
↳ Debrief well so each event improves the next

I was honoured to be named Event Manager of the Year at the Australian Event Awards after decades of delivering major concerts, civic celebrations and large scale festivals across Australia. My approach is simple: safe, then smart, then shiny.

I’m also Co Founder and CEO of The Imagination Collaborative, where we build lifelike digital twins and visual planning tools for venues, cities and promoters. These tools help leadership teams test ideas early, refine access and safety, and make better calls before anyone steps on site.

If you want less firefighting, cleaner decisions and more confident leadership across your events or your organisation, reach out.

Specialties: event leadership, operational planning, scheduling, risk and safety by design, decision clarity, stakeholder alignment, structured debriefs, digital twin planning, CAD and visualisation.

Iain Morrison

Event managers make life-or-death calls with 70% of the information.

Most industries call that "executive leadership."

Every major event is a leadership pressure cooker.
• Thousands of attendees, each with different needs and expectations.
• Dozens of suppliers, all with their own timelines and pressures.
• A timeline that never behaves exactly like the plan.
• Budgets that need to stretch without snapping.
• Regulations and safety standards that cannot be compromised.
• Media and public perception adding another layer of scrutiny.

And the clock doesn't stop ticking.
If you wait until you have 100% of the facts, you're already too late.

That's why the best event managers make confident calls with what they do know, and then lead their teams through the rest.

Outsiders often think events are just logistics.

They miss the diplomacy of balancing dozens of stakeholders.
The emotional intelligence needed to keep a team calm when the plan changes mid-show.

The risk assessment that happens quietly, in real time, while the audience never sees the tension.

Here's the truth:
The ability to make decisive, high-stakes calls without perfect information is gold in any industry.

Event managers have it in spades.
What they often don't have is the structure and support that lets them use it beyond show day.

So, if you're leading in another field and you meet a great event manager...
You're looking at someone who's already been tested in chaos, and proven they can lead.

Ever worked with an event manager who could run circles around most leaders? What made them stand out?

📫 Each week I write industry insights in my weekly newsletter. Join the Mailing List - https://lnkd.in/gbuRyReq

🔔 Follow Iain Morrison for event leadership content from 35 years in the field.

♻️ Repost to help an event manager feel seen today.

Event Consulting | Event Pre-Visualisation & Digital Site Planning | CAD & 3D Design | Behind the Stage Online Training for Event Pros

Event managers don’t create magic.

We prevent 10,000 small failures.

We prevent the cable that could have tripped someone.
We prevent the crowd line that could have bottlenecked.
We prevent the supplier that almost walked.
We prevent the weather plan that nearly got used.
We prevent the artist ever knowing there was a problem.
We prevent the risk becoming tomorrow’s headline.

We prevent the panic before it starts.

We prevent the small cracks becoming big ones.

We prevent chaos from ever getting a microphone.

Because what people see is the lights.
What people see is the applause.
What people see is the seamless run sheet.

What they don’t see is the scanning.
What they don’t see is the recalculating.
What they don’t see is the quiet “what if” running behind every decision.

You’re part creative.
Part engineer.
Part psychologist.
Part negotiator.
Part risk manager.

And somehow, you’re expected to smile through it.
You’re balancing safety.
You’re balancing budgets.
You’re balancing politics.
You’re balancing personalities.
You’re balancing pressure.

All at once.

And when it works?

It looks effortless.

That’s the paradox.

The better you are, the less visible you become.

Because your real job isn’t spectacle.

It’s judgement.
It’s anticipation.
It’s leadership under pressure.

It’s absorbing tension so nobody else feels it.

If you’ve ever walked off site thinking, “They’ll never know how close that was…”

This one’s for you.

What’s one invisible decision you made this year that changed everything?

🔔 Follow Iain Morrison for grounded leadership lessons from 35 years in live events

♻️ Repost to recognise the professionals who prevent the chaos before it starts

21 Traits Every Great Event Manager Has

(Even If They Don't Talk About It)

No certification teaches them. 

No job description lists them.

But right now, somewhere in the world, an event manager is running on every single one.

#1. Radar ears. They hear the problem in someone's tone before the words catch up.

#2. Pre-visual imagination. They see the full site build before a single barrier goes in.

#3. Time-travel instincts. Thinking three cues ahead while solving three cues back.

#4. Diplomatic edge. They say "no" without ever using the word. The other person walks away thinking it was their idea.

#5. Emotional x-ray vision. They clock when someone's close to burnout and quietly intervene before it tips.

#6. Bias for triage. Not "what's perfect?" but "what breaks first if we wait?"

#7. Unshakeable tone. Everyone's calm centre of gravity, even when their own radio's on fire.

#8. Checklist memory. They remember the one item that never made it onto the run sheet, but should've.

#9. Mic drop timing. They know when to push and when silence does more than any briefing.

#10. Gut-level empathy. They design for how people feel, not just what they see.

#11. Crew-first logic. They take the worst shift so someone else gets rest. And they never mention it.

#12. Emergency humour. The perfect joke at 3am when everything's failing and no one's slept. It lands every time.

#13. Universal translator. Tech to engineers, money to finance, vision to creatives. All before breakfast.

#14. Stress-test thinking. They assume it'll fail, then plan for how, when, and who calls it.

#15. Selective stubbornness. They pick the right hills to die on. Safety is non-negotiable. Everything else is a conversation.

#16. Hyper-local intuition. They know where traffic will bank up, which gate will bottleneck, and how to beat both by 12 minutes.

#17. Curated chaos tolerance. The job's messy. They keep the mess inside the perimeter.

#18. Decisive hesitations. A 5-second pause that saves 5 hours later. They know when not to rush.

#19. Respect gravity. They walk every site thinking about what could fall, flood, or fail, and they don't leave until it's sorted.

#20. Audience telepathy. They know how the crowd will move and feel before the crowd does.

#21. Long-game loyalty. They remember who pulled through. Who flagged early. Who kept their word. And they call those people first, every time.

Which of these would your crew say defines you?

Drop your number below. I bet your team already knows which one it is.

📫 Want to go deeper on the leadership side of events? The Behind the Stage newsletter lands weekly with practical frameworks, real examples, and zero fluff. Subscribe free here: https://lnkd.in/gbuRyReq

🔔 Follow Iain Morrison for more on leading high-stakes events and the people behind them.

♻️ Repost to celebrate the event managers who never get the credit but always hold the line.

They think we party for a living.

After 35+ years, here’s the truth.

They see the VIP passes.
You’re fighting permit battles.

They see the stage lights.
You’re running risk assessments.

They see the after parties.
You’re taking midnight phone calls.

They see the headset and clipboard.
You’re redrawing site plans at 11pm.

They see “flexible hours.”
You’re negotiating crises at 3am.

They see free gigs.
You’re juggling budget triage.

They see travel photos.
You’re managing community pressure.

They see the show.
You’re carrying the weight behind it.
You’re rewriting run sheets.
You’re calming client meltdowns.
You’re liaising with authorities.
You’re watching the weather like it’s personal.
You’re holding the crew steady when fatigue hits.
You’re making the call no one else wants to make.

And here’s the part that really lands:
The better you are, the less dramatic it looks.

No chaos.
No headlines.
No applause for the hard calls.

Just a “smooth event.”

If you’ve ever stood on site, radio in hand, heart steady while everything moved fast…

You’re not alone.

What’s the most invisible thing you’ve carried on a show?

🔔 Follow Iain Morrison for sharp leadership lessons from 35+ years on site

♻️ Repost to help someone behind the stage feel seen

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Iain Morrison

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The Battle

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Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Iain Morrison's LinkedIn Performance

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